The Golden Asse eBook

cost, even to that place where I lay the night before
being an Asse. There after the images and reliques
were orderly disposed, the great Priest compassed
about with divers pictures according to the fashion
of the Aegyptians, did dedicate and consecrate with
certaine prayers a fair ship made very cunningly,
and purified the same with a torch, an egge, and sulphur;
the saile was of white linnen cloath, whereon was written
certaine letters, which testified the navigation to
be prosperous, the mast was of a great length, made
of a Pine tree, round and very excellent with a shining
top, the cabin was covered over with coverings of
gold, and all the shippe was made of Citron tree very
faire; then all the people as well religious as prophane
tooke a great number of Vannes, replenished with odours
and pleasant smells and threw them into the sea mingled
with milke, untill the ship was filled up with large
gifts and prosperous devotions, when as with a pleasant
wind it launched out into the deep. But when
they had lost the sight of the ship, every man caried
againe that he brought, and went toward the temple
in like pompe and order as they came to the sea side.
When we were come to the temple, the great priest
and those which were deputed to carrie the divine figures,
but especially those which had long time bin worshippers
of the religion, went into the secret chamber of the
goddesse, where they put and placed the images according
to their ordor. This done, one of the company
which was a scribe or interpreter of letters, who in
forme of a preacher stood up in a chaire before the
place of the holy college, and began to reade out
of a booke, and to interpret to the great prince, the
senate, and to all the noble order of chivalry, and
generally to all the Romane people, and to all such
as be under the jurisdiction of Rome, these words
following (Laois Aphesus) which signified the end of
their divin service and that it was lawfull for every
man to depart, whereat all the people gave a great
showt, and replenished with much joy, bare all kind
of hearbs and garlands of flowers home to their houses,
kissing and imbracing the steps where the goddesse
passed: howbeit I could not doe as the rest,
for my mind would not suffer me to depart one foot
away, so attentiv was I to behold the beauty of the
goddesse, with remembrance of the great miserie I
had endured.

THE FORTY-EIGHTH CHAPTER

How the parents and friends of Apuleius heard news
that he was alive and in health.

In the mean season newes was carried into my countrey
(as swift as the flight of birds, or as the blast
of windes) of the grace and benefit which I received
of the goddesse, and of my fortune worthy to be had
in memory. Then my parents friends and servants
of our house understanding that I was not dead, as
they were falsely informed, came towards me with great
diligence to see me, as a man raised from death to
life: and I which never thought to see them againe,